Thomas Davenport
A Register of His Papers in the Library of Congress
Prepared by T. Michael Womack
Manuscript Division,
Library of Congress
Washington, D.C.
1998
Contact information:
http://lcweb.loc.gov/rr/mss/address.html
Finding aid encoded by Library of Congress Manuscript Division,
2007
Finding aid URL: http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.mss/eadmss.ms007039
Title: Letters of Thomas
Davenport
Span Dates: 1836-1837 ID No.: MSS84210 Creator:
Davenport, Thomas,
1802-1851 Extent: 48 items;
1 container;
0.2 linear feet
Language: Collection material in
English
Repository:
Manuscript Division, Library of
Congress,
Washington, D.C. Abstract: Inventor. Letters
related to the sale, distribution, patenting, and uses of the electric motor
invented by Thomas Davenport
The following terms have been used to index the description of this
collection in the Library's online catalog. They are grouped by name of person
or organization, by subject or location, and by occupation and listed
alphabetically therein.
Names: Davenport, Thomas,
1802-1851 Ayres, W.
W.--Correspondence. Bartlett,
W. H. C. (William Holms Chambers), 1804-1893--Correspondence Cook,
Marcus--Correspondence Cook,
Nelson--Correspondence United
States Military Academy--Students Cook, Ransom. Papers of
Ransom Cook
Subjects: Electric motors--Design
and construction--New York (State) Electric motors--Design
and construction--Vermont Electromagnetism
Occupations: Inventors
Provenance:The papers of Thomas Davenport, inventor of the electric
motor, were given to the Library of Congress in 1995 by the Linda Hall Library
of Kansas City, Missouri, which had acquired the material upon the dissolution
of the Engineering Societies Library of New York. The material was transferred
from the Geography and Map Division to the Manuscript Division in 1997.
Copyright Status:The status of copyright in the unpublished writings of Thomas
Davenport is governed by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17,
U.S.C.).
Preferred Citation:Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the
following information: Container number, Thomas Davenport Papers, Manuscript
Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
The papers of Thomas Davenport (1802-1851) consist of letters written between 1836
and 1837 and one undated item. After experimenting with electromagnets for
several years, Davenport, a blacksmith in Brandon, Vermont, constructed an
electric motor in 1834. Three years later he received a patent for
"improvements in propelling machinery by magnetism and electromagnetism."
Davenport eventually established a workshop in New York City. Ransom Cook,
Davenport's business partner, received most of the letters. Four are from
Nelson Cook, Cook's brother and company agent, in Toronto, Canada, and four are
from W. W. Ayres, Cook's nephew and company clerk, in Saratoga Springs, New
York. Marcus Cook, another brother, writes from Michigan requesting rights of
distributorship. Six of the letters to Cook are from Davenport. Cook appears to
have been in charge of the workshop in New York while Davenport spent much of
his time in Brandon.
A number of the letters pertain to business matters, such as the
formation of the company, issuing stock and other stockholder concerns, title
searches, patents, distributorship rights, sales development, and exhibition
rights. Most of the letters relate to the use and purpose of the new
electromagnetic machine. Some inquire about specific applications, such as
printing, plowing, sugar grinding, bark milling, lumber milling and lathing,
grain harvesting, carpet and silk weaving, and railroad locomotion. Two letters
dated 19 August 1837 and 20 October 1837 contain sketches with detailed
technical discussions regarding changes and improvements in design.
The majority of the letters were written from the early centers of
American industry in New York and New England, but there are also inquiries
from Maryland, Ohio, Indiana, and Alabama. One writer from Ohio was
particularly interested in obtaining a new source of power for manufacturing
purposes because his state was predominantly flat and lacked the abundant water
power of the New England states. Of interest also are two letters from William
H. C. Bartlett, professor at the United States Military Academy at West Point,
who requested a machine for use in teaching engine mechanics to his
students.
This collection is arranged chronologically.
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BOX 1
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Letters,
Dec.
1836-Dec. 1837, n.d.
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(11
folders)
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